The Elements

    Everyone is born with elemental signs - that is what makes Naruta the world that is. The only exception to this are those known as the Clear elementals; people naturally born devoid of any signs. These people are far from helpless, though. In fact, they're one of the most feared types of people. Clear types have the innate charismatic ability to dominate the mind and will of any elemental. Elementals in proximity to a Clear type will be drawn to them, find them to be beautiful, wonderful, or perfect in their eyes. Elementals so trapped by a Clear will do everything in their power to make the Clear happy, and will follow them to the ends of the earth. Such people do not even realize that they've just become willing slaves of the Clears. Luckily, Clear types now have control over this power (which is only a recent development). To some, it is a curse that separates them from the majority of people in the world. To others, it's an intoxicating power that they use at every opportunity. Some Clear people are kind and good masters to their ensnared 'pets', some are very civil and refuse to use their abilities at all, while others are cruel and vicious slavers. For the most part, though, Clears tend to stick to their own kind in their own villages. Even now that they can spend time in the presence of Elementals, they're still wary of the. Only the slavers go out of their way to track down elemental prey.

    Typically, people are born with only one sign. In a rare occasion (about a 10% chance) there's an opportunity for dual signs to be present at birth. Also, single-elemented people may attain more signs later in life through either intense training or emergency situations in which the sign will manifest itself (this is rare though). These signs can be the same as something already existing, or they can be completely different. It all depends on the circumstances of how the sign was acquired. Rarely, almost never, does someone acquire three elemental signs. Those who have three are considered legends amongst their people, typically the spokesperson for entire elemental societies. There might be one or two of these people out of the thousands for each element, save Clear. There's a variety of things that might happen if someone is born from certain types of couplings. They're listed below in order of the most likely scenario to the least.

Both Parents are Same Element:
Born with one sign that is the same as parents
Born with two signs that are the same as parents
Born clear

Parents have Different Elements:
Born with one sign that is the same as one of the parents
Born with two signs - one from each parent
Born with two signs that are the same as one parent
Born clear

The exception to this are the rare Mind elementals and Clears. Mind elements are rare because they have a low birth rate. For some reason, Mind elementals are not very fertile and do not have children often, or not until very late in life. Clears almost always have Clear babies, except in the very rare case where a Clear, descended from elementals, hooks up with another elemental and produces an elemental baby.

Another deviation from the norm are two specific couplings. Earth and Water couplings are considered the "Fertile Signs" and will always result in an offspring, most of the time. By contrast, Earth and Ice are the "Barren Signs" and will never have children.

Elementals who are around those of the same element can touch their signs together (granted that it isn't too awkward to do so). This is called Like Signs Melding, or simply Melding. When this occurs, the effects are different for each individual, but the end result is the same. The two people who are touching signs become as one. They share all their thoughts, feelings,  and emotions. This is a very emotionally charged state, and isn't recommended to do with just anyone. Every time you meld with something, a piece of you is left behind in the other.

Elementals of different signs are able to work in cooperation together. Given that the combination is not a fatal one (as will be listed below), people can create combinations of effects by touching each other's signs. A Storm and a Fire type working together might be able to create a series of lightning bolts that are wreathed in flame. The same applies to touching your own signs together if they are different elements. If they are the same, your level of power will simply increase.

The Lethal Combinations:
Fire + Water (Fire type drowns, their lungs filled with water)
Fire + Ice (The Ice type loses their powers, temp or permanently based of the strength difference)
Storm + Water (The Water type gets electrocuted)

Some Things In General About Signs

If you cut off someone else's sign, are you then able to use it? No. Not even if you sew it on. And no, if you have your sign cut off and you sew it back on, it still won't work. Does losing your sign transform you into a Clear? Are you still affected by Clears powers? No and yes, respectively. It's unlikely any Clear will hunt a powerless elemental, though. Can a sign be repaired, or in the more extreme cases, replaced? The only instance I can think of is, shortly after injury, being healed by a Water type's healing waters. However, after the scar tissue sets in, no. And the only way to 'replace' a sign is to spontaneously gain a new one, like you would with a second sign. And, like gaining a second sign, the odds are low of it happening. Any other way other than what I mentioned would require a Force Quest. Would it be possible for a child of an [Element 1] and an [Element 2] type to just inherit two [Element 1] signs? Mostly no, possible yes. In almost all cases, no, however if the parent of Element 2 had a parent that was Element 1, there's a better chance of it, but the odds are still slim. (It'd be like a recessive gene skipping a generation and then combining with another recessive gene to become dominant) In elemental pairings, what are the percentage chances of the offspring being a Clear? Same Element paring - 13%. Different Element pairing - 7%. How effective are elemental powers at birth? Elemental powers are inherent at birth, but knowledge of them isn't. If a child never receives training, they'll never know how to use their powers. If they receive training, as soon as they're old enough to grasp it, they can use their powers. Their powers are weaker because they're so young, but grow with practice and time, just like training in anything else. If a Sign is located on someone's hand, like on the fingers or palm, does the opposing hand have to be touching it to allow the element to work, or can it be activated by making a fist or snapping the fingers? You can activate it however you like (including the ideas you suggested) so long as it's touching another part of your body.

Images by Nyala

Fire

Personality: Fire types tend to be ruled by their emotion. As their element is more easily controlled and dictated by levels of passion and feeling currently being experienced, Fire types are quick to rouse to any state of emotional activity.
Society: Fire types live in clans in Naurorod. Although there are a couple permanent settlements of Fire types, and they do live in some of the mixed elemental cities, most Fire clans prefer to live like hunter-gatherers - living off the earth and constantly on the move. They are viewed as 'barbarians' by other societies because of their simple lifestyle of living day-to-day, come what may. Fire clans are quick to attack each other or neighboring settlements with little provoking. Although they do act uncivilized in some regards, they are just as intelligent and quick thinking as any other being - they've simply chosen to forgo social evolution.
Good Relationships With: Storm types (when not fighting with them), Earth types, Beast types
Bad Relationships With: Storm types (when fighting with), Water types, Ice types

Notes: After the coming of the dragons, the Fires received a blessing that enabled them to become nearly immune to most sickness and disease. Should they fall ill, they need merely to do a "bloodboil" and burn the sickness out of their system. This applies only to citizens of Naurorod and their offspring.

Water

Personality: Water types tend to be quiet and docile, peaceful and laid back. They're the only element that has the capacity to heal others (with a healing water they can create) and so they tend to be rather peace loving until agitated.
Society: Water types are reclusive, second only to the Minds and Beasts. Most prefer to spend all their time lounging with each other or alone in the various bodies of water, preferably the Great River. Though they do not have any conflictions with neighboring lands, they still would rather keep to themselves. However, they are warm and accepting, and if someone requests to stay with them, they'll not turn them away (unless it's a Storm type, who they fear greatly).
Good Relationships With: Wind, Earth
Bad Relationships With: Fire

Notes: After the coming of the dragons, the Waters received a blessing that allowed some of them to have gills. The water types with gills can remain on land if they keep their gills firmly shut, but they are more comfortable in the water, living under the island-city, Ronduin. This applies only to citizens of Ronduin and their children.

Storm

Personality: Storms are the bullies, tyrants, and power mongers of the world (usually). Feeling that their element is superior to almost all others, they enjoy flaunting their battle prowess.
Society: Since the Storms evolved from the Wind types, they view their weaker 'cousins' with disdain, often taking Wind types as slaves (and Water types, who they view in much the same way). Their hostile nature makes them both good allies and terrible enemies with the Fire types. All in all, Storm types are usually quite arrogant and cruel. However, since the reign of Shadow as "King of Storms", many new rules have been passed decreeing that Storms begin a more peaceful way of life. He took Lya, the Lady of Winds, as his queen in hopes that the Storms and Winds could live together in harmony. Furthermore, he befriended Cascata, Mother of Waters, to keep things smooth between Water and Storm.
Good Relationships With: Fire (when not fighting with)
Bad Relationships With: Fire (when fighting with)

Notes: After the coming of the dragons, the Storms received a mixed blessing. A Storm type can, at any point in their life, go out alone somewhere in the mountains of Maelstrom and spend the day in prayer and meditation to the Elements. Doing so calls out to a small black lizard creature called a shocker lizard. These lizards pick one Storm type to be their life companion, and form a deep, empathic bond with them. Storms can use their lizards to agument their power in battles, and they provide excellent companionship, being unshakably loyal. However, if a Storm with a lizard commits a heinous crime, the lizard will harass their Storm partner endlessly. Slaying one's own lizard is to invite a most terrible curse. This applies only to citizens of Maelstrom and their children.

Wind

Personality: The pacifists of Naruta, Wind types are flighty, fun-loving, gentle people. This peaceful nature partially stems from the fact that their element is not terrible useful in fights until they are older and stronger. This, in turn, causes them to have a humbled lifestyle usually. Wind types treasure their element as a great gift to be used sparingly. They are also the most common elemental to be found in slavery.
Society: Wind types are usually very open to other elementals, even their hostile cousins the Storms. They usually welcome any elemental into their midst to join the nearly constant revelry that seems to be occurring. They are not completely trusting - outsiders are often monitored carefully, but are otherwise treated very well.
Good Relationships With: Water
Bad Relationships With: None

Notes: After completing a task put forth to them by the Cloud Dragon, Wind, the elementals of Wind now can have wings! Not all Wind types have wings, but about half do. This applies only to the citizens of Talen'sul and their offspring.

Ice

Personality: Ice types tend to be emotionally distant and aloof. Although they do usually find a couple friends and a lover or spouse, they always contain an air of detachment around them. While this makes them awkward to socialize with, it is also a fearsome edge to have in combat.
Society: The Ice types tend to remain in their ancestral home, the Khelek Crystalands. Those that do venture out in the world do so only if there is a need to. They are wary of all outsiders that come to their home, and typically turn travelers away unless there's a valid reason for their presence. They absolutely fear all Fire types, though, and will respond immediately with hostility or fear upon sight of one - fighting or fleeing.
Good Relationships With: Nobody
Bad Relationships With: Fire

Beast

Personality: The temperament of the Beasts ranges as widely as the animals they have affinity with. Some are affectionate, others shy, and some plain aggressive. All Beast types are gentle and peaceful with animals, though - unless they're eating them.
Society: There are three major factions of Beast clans, all found in the Beastlands. There is the clan that believes that all animals should be able to live in harmony and peace. They welcome any beast-affinity-type into their ranks, and even other elementals should they be so inclined. The second faction believes in survival of the strongest amongst their own kind. While they will leave other elementals alone, they hunt and prey on each other, weeding out the weak so that the strong can live. And the third, and most brutal of all factions, are those that believe in survival of the fittest, including other elementals. They will hunt each other, but prefer to hunt down other elementals in order to press their elemental superiority.
Good Relationships With: Dependent upon faction, but usually Earth types
Bad Relationships With: Dependent upon faction

Notes: A Beast has an affinity with one animal above all others, although they retain the ability to communicate with any animal. A very weak Beast type will not display any animalistic characteristics, other than their peaceful relationship with nature. Normal Beast types with one symbol will have only a few traits: cat ears for cat-affinity, a busy tail for fox-affinity, a forked tongue for snake-affinity, and so forth. These characteristics are only about three minor things. Two Beast symbols create a lycanthrope look - half and half like a centaur, or more evenly blended. Beast types rarely, if ever, try to 'dominate' animals like a Clear type would with an elemental. They usually have very peaceful relationships with nature. They do not summon animals, but they can call out to them in hopes something will answer.

Mind

Personality: Mind types are the most withdrawn of all elementals, even the Ice and Water types. They are ever-vigilant, watchful, and insightful. Minds live to learn, being taught that the key to power does not lie in one's prowess of the elements, but in understanding and learning. They thrive for knowledge. However, their considerable powers does sometimes lead to an over inflated ego.
Society: Each mind type is broken up into a small 'community'. There is one community in each of the elemental lands, hidden away and heavily guarded so that only other Minds and their guests would ever be able to get in. Their numbers are very small, at only 20 people in a community. Since there's so few of their kind, they do not interact with the outside world except for those on Force Quests and to occasionally send out some scouts to check up on the various locations and report back to update the records of things. Even the average citizen does not know much about the other Mind communities.
Good Relationships With: Nobody
Bad Relationships With: Nobody

Notes: Mind elementals are considerably powerful. They can teleport, use telekinesis, read minds, speak with telepathy. Bear in mind, though, that they use their powers sparingly. Mind types are taught not to be reckless and not to be wasteful with the use of their powers.

After the coming of the dragons, the Mind types gained a two-fold blessing. The Minds that worship Thuoth gained genetic memory. All Minds in general can now have children with non-mind partners (where previously only two Minds could have a Mind elemented child).

Earth

Personality: Earth types are generally very friendly people. Though some might prefer nature over other people, they are much like the Wind types - light hearted and free of spirit. They respect all life very deeply, and so try to remain pacifists as much as possible. If necessary, they will go out of their way to avoid conflict.
Society: Earth types have their own lands in Mount Humontis, where most of them live. Their desire for peace has kept them secluded to their ancestral home throughout the ages, for fear that their wide-scale damage abilities would get out of hand if they ventured too much into society. Their towns and homes are welcome to everyone.
Good Relationships With: Everyone
Bad Relationships With: Nobody

Notes: Earth types tend to take one of two paths. Stone and Dirt, wherein the elemental exerts their control on the earth itself, and Plant, where the elemental has a stronger influence over the plant life in the area. Although an elemental can dabble in both Paths, they tend to show a very strong affinity for only one or the other.

Clear

Personality: Clear types come in all varieties. They're the most diverse of any elemental, much like your normal, run of the mill humans.
Society: Once, long ago, all Clears more or less lived in their great city of Lacuna. However, after the destruction of their land after the Elemental and Clear war, the survivors were forced to live in a refugee town called Reave (short for "bereave"). There, they struggled to survive, gleaning help from some of the elementals who deigned to offer aid. After receiving their blessing from the dragon Charisma, they've since learned to get along better with Elementals. However, they're still ignorant of these strange cousins of theirs.
Good Relationships With: Nobody
Bad Relationships With: Nobody

Notes: Clear types cannot sense when other elementals are around them. If they control an elemental slave, other Clears cannot 'take' that slave from them, but the presence of other Clears will help bolster each other's powers of influence. Clears cannot be combined with any other element. A Clear type can have an infinite (well, nearly) amount of Elementals. Only if one of their slaves is far away (proximity counts) or around a large group of 'free' elementals, the Clear type need not worry about his hold over his slave. Clear type powers develop in strength over time, so a baby born to elemental parents will not immediately dominate them, but the parents may show extra special attention to their Clear child in comparison to other possible siblings. A recent development has allowed Clear types to control their entrapping ability.